Ordinary Miracles
by St. Harridan
Summary: He didn't expect to lose her.


Chapter 1

Kenpachi crouched low in the underbrush, trying to keep his large figure hidden under clumps of leaves and thorny branches that were pulling at his clothes. He had to fight back the urge to scratch at the itches that were now sprouting along his arms and neck. There was every chance that these leaves were poisonous to the touch. He could only applaud his own common sense for having Yachiru stay _behind _the bushes rather than _in _them.

Coming to think of it, Kenpachi wondered just _why _he even crawled into the underbrush in the first place. He mentally kicked himself. So much for common sense.

The deer that he had been keeping his eye on for quite some time now lifted its head at the snapping of a twig. Kenpachi flexed his fingers, keeping the rest of his body frozen for fear of triggering another response. That twig was definitely not of his doing. It came from the other side of the clearing. Well, if there was another hunter around here, he'd be more than willing to fight. Only the best lived on, anyway, and he was _hungry_.

As Kenpachi braced himself for the kill, the deer took a step or two nearer to where he was hiding. Great, made things easier. He didn't want to leap out, cover ten feet, and pounce onto dinner like a starving lion – though he couldn't deny that he was like one at the moment.

Kenpachi was already planning on which strip of flesh was his and which he could give to the brat when he heard a squeal that pierced his ears. Out from the underbrush just opposite him burst Yachiru, arms outstretched, big grin plastered to her face. She pounced onto the deer with a childish battle-cry – if one could even regard it as such – but she ended up with nothing more than dirt in her face.

Without a second thought, Kenpachi jumped out of his hiding place and gave chase to the escaping deer. He pushed through bushes and leaves and branches, eyes trained on the animal's behind, hoping that somehow it would trip on a big, gnarled root and fall to its demise.

But as Kenpachi slid on wet soil, retrieved his momentum and forced his way through, he seemed to be getting further and further away from it. He gritted his teeth, leaped over a fallen tree trunk, sped up his pace.

The deer was now near, its energy lost. Kenpachi could only be grateful for it being an old, tired one. Usually he went for fawns and young game, but this was the only one foolish enough to come into his line of sight. And sometimes, although he didn't want to admit it, beggars just couldn't be choosers.

Kenpachi reached out a hand. So close now. He grinned to himself, feeling the adrenaline rush through his nerves. This definitely wasn't as good as having a decent fight, but at least it was better than just sitting around watching the brat draw stick figures in the dirt.

He was hungry, his stomach had been growling long before he made camp. His eyes saw nothing but the deer – their _dinner_. And when he was about to leap and pounce onto it, his foot caught on yet another fallen tree trunk, a thick, leafy branch appeared out of nowhere and smacked him square in the face, he tripped, and he fell into a puddle of mud.

The deer whizzed through the forest, leaving him in the dust.

Kenpachi lay there for a moment, nose blocked and mouth sealed shut to avoid inhaling or tasting the mud, cursing himself for ever giving chase to the deer. For letting Yachiru be at the river by herself, for not strapping her to a tree with bits of rope. Then he braced his hands on either side of his head and pushed himself up to his feet, grimacing at the mud that coated his face. He'd heard rumours about it being healthy for one's skin, but from the look and smell of it, he found that piece of crap hard to believe.

He didn't want to admit it, but his face actually hurt from the tree branch. With a growl, he wiped the dirt and mud from his face and marched through the forest to the glade where he had left Yachiru in favour of their dinner.

"Did'ja get food, Ken-chan?" She looked up at him with hope shining bright in her wide, ruby eyes. "Did'ja? Did'ja? 'Cuz I'm _really _hungry!"

Kenpachi stretched out his arms as if he was going to hug someone. But really, he'd rather strangle the child to death right then and there. "Does it _look _like I've got dinner?"

Yachiru's face fell in disappointment, and Kenpachi felt like sticking the fact in her face that she was the cause of her own discontent. "But, Ken-chan, I helped ya catch dinner. Why couldn't ya catch it after I gave ya some help? Did'ja need some more help than that?"

"Ye didn't help me at all, ye fuckin' ingrate," Kenpachi hissed through clenched teeth, gripping his fists so tightly that his knuckles burned white against his tanned skin. "And I didn't even _need _yer help. If ye hadn't butt yer ass in like ye just did, we'd be roastin' some deer ass eatin' shit till our own asses blow. What the fuck was that, eh, brat? Tryin' to show off yer skill, eh?"

Yachiru stared up at him, blinking in apparent puzzlement. Kenpachi tore his glare away from her, sure that if he were to look at her for a moment longer he'd go out of his mind. Brat just had some weird way of screwing with his head. He stalked through the forest, not even looking back to see whether she could catch up or not. It was better if she didn't. A lost brat would be one less pain in the ass that he'd have to worry about.

But, unfortunately, she could keep up with him just fine.


End file.
